NFL Picks Week 7: Falcons vs. Lions and Results That Will Surprise

In the NFL, it is hard to really be surprised by anything that happens. We have become so conditioned to think there is not a lot of separation between the best and worst teams, which means there should be no shocking results.

That said, there are still times when our jaws drop to the floor and we wonder how something happened and if it is a sign of something wrong with one team or improvement from the other. 

There are surprising results waiting to happen in Week 7, though they will not necessarily be upsets. I am defining it as a game you wouldn't think to be a blowout that will be, or a game that should be a blowout that will be closer than you expect.

Here are three games this weekend that will have surprising results. 

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions

The surprise in this game will not be that the Lions win, but how much they win by.

The Falcons have had problems all season long on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, they are 22nd in total defense. That number is skewed by the fact that teams don’t run the ball because it is easier to beat them in the secondary. 

The Lions don’t like to run the ball anyway. When you have weapons like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young to throw to, why would you want to waste time keeping the offense grounded?

Matthew Stafford is going to throw the ball a lot in this game against a fragile Falcons defense, and the Lions will get back on track this week.

Lions 34, Falcons 14

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders

Hopes are high in Oakland after the Raiders were able to pry quarterback Carson Palmer away from the Bengals. While the long-term effects of that deal will likely be positive, the fact he is starting this game on just four days' notice is perplexing.

The Chiefs started the season looking terrible, and things got considerably worse when running back Jamaal Charles tore his ACL. However, they have come back nicely with two straight wins, albeit against Minnesota and Indianapolis.

I think the Raiders are going to try and throw the ball deep early just to get the crowd into and to see what Palmer’s arm looks like. That will be a mistake that leads to turnovers, and the Chiefs will control the clock with their running game.

The Raiders will prevail in the end, but it will be closer than you might think.

Raiders 27, Chiefs 24

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints

With Peyton Manning on the shelf until who knows when, the Indianapolis Colts have become one of the key participants in the “Suck for Luck” competition. However, they have been playing better in recent weeks, with Curtis Painter actually looking like a competent quarterback.

The Saints are actually a good matchup for the Colts. The biggest problem the Colts have on defense is stopping the run, 30th in the NFL. That doesn’t mean much to the Saints because they don’t like to run the ball a lot anyway.

The Colts defense plays best indoors on turf, so they should feel right at home in the Superdome. They won’t win the game because they aren’t strong enough on offense to score with Drew Brees and Co., but it will be closer than the experts think.

Saints 28, Colts 23